Hamlet-Machine and Other Texts for the Stage [Paperback]

Heiner Muller (Author), Carl Weber (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0933826451 | ISBN-13: 978-0933826458 | Publication Date: July 1, 2001 | Edition: First

This best-selling volume contains several of the German author's most controversial dramas, in which he radically questions how culture, myth, art, and social relations create history. Includes: Hamletmachine, Correction, The Task, Quartet, Despoiled Shore, and Gundling's Life. One of the most original theatrical minds of our time, Müller, who resided in East Berlin before his death in 1995, was a frequent collaborator of Robert Wilson.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Carl Weber was a collaborator with Bertolt Brecht, and is an internationally known stage director. Carl Weber was a collaborator with Bertolt Brecht, and is an internationally known stage director.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Performing Arts Journal; First edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933826451
• ISBN-13: 978-0933826458
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #466,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential Muller for theatre students, April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hamlet-Machine and Other Texts for the Stage (Paperback)

This is an excellent collection of Muller for anyone seriously interested in theatre. The German author's remarkable work spans political changes before, during, and after the fall of the Berlin Wall and represents a pivotal time in German society and theatre. With new treatments of classical texts (like Hamlet and Medea) as well as innovative works exploring themes of devotion and sexuality (like Quartet), this collection of short plays is a great starting point for theatre enthusiasts interested in tackling Muller.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars brilliant dramas, May 5, 2000

By 

Adam Medros (Arlington, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hamlet-Machine and Other Texts for the Stage (Paperback)

While translations of Heiner Mueller are often difficult, his plays are nonetheless fascinating. What is often lost in translation of Heiner Mueller is his play on words- the German language allows Muller to build words with fragments that themself have meaning. Also, readers of Mueller should understand that his works are commonly a vivasection of another work's theme, expanded to explore and highlight the conflict. Mueller's work draws from the writings of Shakespeare, Brecht, Kafka, and others.

Mueller's writing is political and often historical, examining relationships and conflicts from East German history.

Hamlet Machine is Mueller's best known work, though probably not his best. The other plays included in this volume are all great.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Weber's translations are powerful, February 2, 2008

By 

P. Vaile - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hamlet-Machine and Other Texts for the Stage (Paperback)

Carl Weber's traslations of Muller's works are incredibly powerful, this collection of plays is a must for any Drama Student interested in modernism, surrelism or history. Muller's works are amazing and in depth studies of present history and well worth the read (and the challenge involved in staging them).